Latest Publications

South Africa is among the African countries that have taken initiatives to develop biotechnology industry to meet the persistent challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. This study analyse the Biotechnology Innovation System of South Africa using the three building blocks of sectoral system of innovation (SSI). It also benchmarks South African performance with that of other BRICS countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. Although the South African biotechnology market is quite small compared to other BRICS countries, its potential to grow is high. The scholarly publication patterns from the Medline database show that the knowledge base in this sector is small compared to other countries. However the South African scholarly papers are highly cited. This shows their relevance at the global level. The patent portfolio is also very small and limited to a few technological categories. The publication and patent portfolios show that university research output is not readily being translated into commercial products. Although there are many examples of university spinoff firms in biotechnology, findings from this study emphasis the need for a stronger university-industry relationship to encourage innovation for entrepreneurial start-ups.

Abstract

The concept of mini-grids has been around for decades. Mini-grids have been advocated by development scholars and energy specialists as a viable means for increasing access to energy in a bid to increase economic activities and promote economic development. Especially in African countries where the rural populations with access to stable modern electricity on average is less than 5%, mini-grids can play an important role in developing localised energy systems to promote sustainable development. Over other forms of mini-grids, green mini-grids (GMGs) by their structure and design present a compelling case for preference. GMGs can be situated at any point in localised areas since they utilize solar energy. Additionally, in generating electricity to power dispersed communities, GMGs can also feed excess electricity into the national grid – when appropriate agreements to allow for this are in place. Importantly, by operating GMGs African countries can help to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases known to be responsible for climate change, while reaping the economic benefits of having stable modern electricity. In most African countries, the rural populations surpass the population of urban dwellers. By generating electricity for economic activities, GMGs can help to energize rural economies to the point where these economies operate in their full economic potential. Essentially, African countries can plot their paths to sustainable development by promoting GMGs within rural areas. However, despite the clear benefits, a host of challenges surrounding energy planning and development has prevented the widespread promotion of GMGs in Africa. Some of these challenges include financial impediments, the lack of appropriate policy and regulatory structures as well as a lack of appropriate business models to deliver GMG projects. Additionally, some perceptions of technological failures leading to a negative bias for GMG development and the absence of adequate data to map the energy needs of dispersed rural communities contribute largely to obscure the benefits of GMGs

AbstractEngineering is vital to addressing basic human needs, improving the quality of life and creating opportunities for sustainable prosperity on a local, regional, national and global level. However, Africa faces a shortage of engineers arising from declining interest and enrolment of young people in the relevant disciplines at higher education level. Africa is also flooded with numerous products from the five major emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, creating challenges to local engineering solutions. In this sense, engineering design capacity practice needs to be reviewed for the purpose of creating the potential for the application of local competitive engineering capacity for growth. This suggests a need for the upgrading and integration of local engineering design capacity into the mainstream, beginning with the education system. Empirical evidence from Tanzania lends support to this proposition. Primary data from university undergraduates suggest a strong focus on curricular review of engineering design capacity in Tanzania. Review of engineering design functions practiced by industries and engineering based R&D institutions indicates skills mismatch which need to be addressed. This holds important policy implications. In particular, the tertiary education curriculum must be sensitive to the local needs and knowledge.

Abstract Post-apartheid South African Government had realized the role of technology and innovation for national development. The science and technology based industries are being considered as priority areas. Using the analytical framework of Technological Capability and Network analysis, this paper is an attempt to assess the national capability building in high technology. Patents granted to South African inventors in ICT and Biotechnology industries are considered to measure the technological capability. The patents granted in USPTO during 1970-2014 shows that in recent years there is certainly an increase in patenting activity of South African entities. However, a clear and significant trend is yet to emerge. The study further isolated the high technology patents based on the OECD suggested IPC codes. Among the total 5,264 granted patents about 1,100 are considered as the high technology patents. These high technology patents are grouped into three categories. The categories are South African entity assigned patents (530 patents) foreign entities assigned patents (456 patents) and individually assigned (220 patents) patents. In ICT industry maximum patents was granted in Computers and office machinery and in Biotechnology maximum patents are granted in Medicinal and bioengineering areas related to microorganisms. Amazon Technologies Inc, (34 patents) is the most prolific patentee followed by CSIR, (28 patents). Recently, most of the high technology patents are granted as joint patents. This shows an increasing collaboration among SA and foreign entities. In terms of collaboration, Amazon Technologies Inc, is the most prominent actor among the foreign firms and University of Cape Town, is the most prominent among the SA institutes. The collaboration map shows that the collaborative patents are only among a few institutes. There is scope for indigenous entities to learn and elevate along the value chain. The study concludes with relevant policy lessons regarding the increasing foreign R&D in SA.

* Swapan Kumar Patra: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa email:
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Among the many other corporate activities offshoring of R&D by Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) is considered to be the least mobilized. Firms usually keep their crucial R&D activity close to their home base. However, since 1990’s MNEs from developing countries are offshoring their R&D activity to the developing Asian countries particularly in India and China. This study trace the growth of foreign R&D units in India, the location of R&D units and the major motives of foreign firms to choose India and China as the favorable R&D destinations. Study observed that there was a significant growth of new R&D units in the last decades. Firms’ prefers R&D locations in India where there are knowledge hubs in terms of educational institutes and trained manpower. The major motives of firms to prefer India and China are mainly ‘market driven’ and ‘technology driven’.

JEL Classification Code: O32, F23

Keywords: Multinational Enterprises, Foreign R&D, India, China

* Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa email:
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The full paper is submitted to African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development in the Special Issue on various issues of BRICS Countries

AbstractEconomic success of a nation is highly related to Scientific and technological capability building. Therefore, both industrially developed and developing nations follow explicit strategies to increase their technological competency. However, technological capability building cannot be completed in isolation. It is a long term process and requires a country to pass through different phases of learning, infrastructure development, human resources management, and institutions building. This paper analyses Indian and South African scientific and technological capability through the major input (R&D expenditure, manpower) and output indicators (Technology balance of payment, scholarly publication, patents and so on). To measure the technological capability of these two emerging economics, this study uses World Bank data for R&D expenditure and R&D manpower, scientific publication data from Scopus database and patents granted in United States Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) database. The study observed that in India is ahead of South Africa in some respect but in some areas South Africa’s performance is quite good. The study concludes with the policy recommendation from the developing countries’ particularly the South African perspective which includes the technological learning through the increasing collaboration between foreign firms and the local firms or institutions.

* Swapan Kumar Patra: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa email:
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Innovation Research for Integrated African Development: Colloquium for Journal and Book Publication, (9th -11th March 2016) Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa (paper is under review for the forthcoming book chapter)

AbstractThis paper maps the scholarly publication output of engineering research from the member countries of African Union (AU) based on publication data from the Scopus database of Elsevier. The countries are ranked based on various parameters, like number of publications, activity index, citations received. The collaboration profiles of the countries are mapped using Social Network Analysis (SNA) tools. The results show that the engineering research publications are increasing in Africa in an exponential rate. However the engineering research is not the main research focus because the indicators, like Activity index, Relative Specialization Index show an overall negative productivity. The research focus of these countries may be in some other areas. Above all, the output is still low in global setting. However, the coverage of African scholarly publication in global citation databases is quite low because of the peripheral nature of the science in these countries. There are many publications which are not included in these databases. So, Africa based citation index, exclusively covering scholarly research from the continent will perhaps give a better picture of the reality. Papers form these countries have received quite good number of citations. So it is quite sure that African engineering research has significant impact on the global science. In terms of collaboration, South Africa is the major collaborator and have good impact in global as well as within African collaboration. However there are further scopes of collaborations among African countries. The policy recommendations include more focused research in engineering disciplines and more collaboration among AU member countries.

* Swapan Kumar Patra: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa email:
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Earlier version of this paper was presented at Engineering Design Capacity Building and Economic Development in Africa at the Africalics'15 conference held at, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda, on 20th November 2015. The full paper is submitted to African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development in the Special Issue on Engineering Design.

This study maps the scientific publication and patenting activity of the member countries of African Union using standard Scientometrics indicators. Many previous studies try to map the scientific productivity of the African scholar using single indicator for example using data from Web of Science (WoS). However WoS has limited coverage in terms of number of journals. Moreover, the coverage of African scientific journals in this citation database is very limited. So, there is certainly a gap in understanding of the actual nature of African science and technology. To fill this void this study will be a timely effort to comprehend the scientific and technical productivity of African Union. This study use Scopus data because of the extensive coverage of Scopus in the global as well as African scholarly literature. This study traces the literature growth and citation pattern of African countries. Beside the literature data, this study also maps the patenting of African countries using data from United States Patent and Trademark (USPTO) office. The outcome and the recommendations of this study will certainly be useful for scholars, policy and decision makers in the governments of the member states of African Union.

*Swapan Kumar Patra: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa Email:
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AbstractThis study maps the research and innovation in South African universities within the triple-helix framework. To map the R&D activities of South African universities, patent and publications data are used as an output indicator. The study observed that universities are the most prolific publisher and constitute about 91 percent of total South African publications. However, universities altogether produce only about 14 percent of total South African patents. Productivity is mainly concentrated in Western Cape and Gauteng provinces because of the location of public research institutes and productive universities. For example University of Pretoria and University of Witwatersrand in Gauteng and University of Cape Town and University of Stellenbosch in Western Cape Provinces. Only a few universities are responsible for both patenting and publication portfolio of South Africa. The joint patent trends shows that only about 19 percent patents are collaborative patents. South African public research institutes are more active in joint patents with universities followed by the foreign universities. South African firms are less active in collaborative patents. The study recommends that university and local firms’ collaboration need to be strengthen to develop technological capabilities in South Africa. Also, the regional disparities in productivity need further attention. To achieve the ‘entrepreneurial university’ in terms of patents and technology transfer South African universities need to collaborate more with the local industries or institutes. Further studies will perhaps give a clear picture of technology transfer and the universities incurred benefits from it.

* Swapan Kumar Patra: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa email:
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Abstract Economic success of a nation is highly related to technological capability building. Therefore, both industrially developed and developing nations follow explicit strategies to increase their technological competency. However, technological capability building cannot be understood simply as the sum of firm level technological capabilities developed in isolation. It is a long term process and requires a country to pass through different phases of learning, infrastructure development, human resources management, and institutions building. This paper analyses Indian and South African technological capability building in high technology industry taking Biotechnology patents as a case study. To measure the technological capability in biotechnology, this study uses patents granted in United States Patent (USPTO) office as a proxy indicator. The study traces the origin and the growth of patents in USPTO since the early 1970’s. It is observed that there is substantial growth of Indian patents after the economic liberalization. This sizable number of high technology patenting from India is due to the opening up of the economy and recent surge of R&D activities of foreign firms in India. Also, it shows the Indian firms and R&D labs increased their strength in this sector over the years. The collaboration pattern shows that Indian assignee owned patents are more collaborative than the foreign assignee owned patents. Although, the foreign entities collaborate, but their collaboration mainly restrict among their R&D units in India, and either with their head quarter or subsidiaries located elsewhere. The study concludes with the policy recommendation from the developing countries’ particularly the South African perspective which includes the technological learning through the increasing collaboration between foreign firms and the local firms or institutions. Keywords: Technological Capability, India, South Africa, Biotechnology Patents,

* Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa email:
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The paper has been presented in Mapungubwe Institute of Strategic Reflection (Mistra) Colloquium beyond the Imagination: Genetics, Nano and biotechnologies and their applications, during October 13, 2015, Midrand, South Africa (for forthcoming book chapter, paper is under review)

Conventional rural livelihood analyses often neglect the role of environmental products in general and forest and agoforestry (AF) products in particular. Using log linear regression model (LRM) in a cross-sectional data collected from a sample of 300 households, this study explores the likely impact of AF technologies in promoting the livelihood of rural communities in the study areas. Results obtained from multiple linear regression analysis showed that average household income increased as a function of utilization of AF technologies.These findings have policy implications in promoting integrated rural development in the Eastern Cape Province.

Most public service managers and professionals spend most of their time dealing with the day-to-day pressures of delivering services, operating and reporting to senior managers, legislators and agencies. They have little or no time to think about innovation, which would ease the pressures and burdens of service delivery. The intention of this paper is to point out the fact that capacity building is the bedrock of new public management development.

In the South African handicraft sector, there is hardly any significance on the research and development of designs and product innovation. This study focuses on the possibility of innovative craft-design to aid in the economic development of the local community, and more specifically the development of the creative industry. The paper shows key findings from a literature review and from semi-structured interviews with local producers, supporters, and buyers of handicraft product in Western Cape Province.

During the past few years China’s economical growth increased and finally took the first place, and left the USA and other countries behind. Having most of the products with the label “Made in China”, make other markets to wonder: what are the consumer perception about buying and using those products?

Economic success of a nation is highly related to technological capability building. Therefore, both industrially developed and developing nations follow explicit strategies to increase their technological competency. However, technological capability building is cannot be understood simply in terms of the sum of firm level technological capabilities developed in isolation. It is a long term process and requires a country to pass through different phases of learning, infrastructure development, human resources management, and institutions building.

In the post-apartheid era, new democratically elected South African Government had realized the role of technology and innovation for the national development. The science and technology based industries were considered as the priority area. Using the analytical framework of Technological Capability (TC) and Network analysis, this paper is an attempt to assess the national capability building in the high technology areas. Patents granted to South African inventors in ICT and Biotechnology industries are considered to measure the TC of South Africa in high technology areas.

In the Maasai community where Richard Turere lives with his family, cattle are all-important. But lion attacks were growing more frequent. In this short, inspiring talk, the young inventor shares the solar-powered solution he designed to safely scare the lions away.

Italian designer Gabriele Diamanti (@GabDiamanti) has invented Eliodomestico, an eco-distiller running on solar power, to provide safe drinking-water for people in developing countries: a very simple way to produce healthy, bacteria-free water. Eliodomestico is an open source project.

The idea to create a network on solar energy was born during a conference in Sousse, Tunisia in November 2010. The African Network for Solar Energy (ANSOLE) was officially launched in Linz, Austria in February 2011, thus it will celebrate its 5th anniversary next year in February. A conference commemorating this event is planned from the 3rd to the 6th of February 2016 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The drama of the ICC’s determination to arrest Sudan’s president Omar Al Bashir manifested itself exactly three weeks after the commemoration of this year’s Africa Day. That fact epitomises the thorny, rocky road Africa’s renewal will have to go through. I am still basking in the after-glow of this year’s Africa Day commemorations, which was my first time to actually actively be a part of.

The fifth African Unity for Renaissance Conference and Africa Day Expo, which consists of a series of conferences open to academics from all six regions of Africa and academics from the diaspora, took place from 22 to 24 May 2015 at the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park Kingsway and Soweto campuses.

It is well documented that the space of informal economic activity is rising across the globe. This rise has been particularly significant in the least developed and developing countries, especially after the onset of neo-liberal policies and withdrawal of welfare state. There has also been a shift in academic thinking on informal sector, with attempts being made to understand the contribution of informal sector in generating employment and economic growth rather than focusing solely on exploitative labour conditions in these economic activities.

The 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia was a turning point in the construction of a post-colonial international political order. However, the complete and final overthrow of colonialism was not achieved. Instead, neocolonialism rose to take its place and became firmly rooted in most of the Global South.

This article features Paul Frimpong, an economist and social entrepreneur from Ghana. Paul is the founding chairman of the Young Professional Economists Network. Paul and the YPEN have developed an impressive record across West Africa and the continent, as connectors of ideas and people around economic policy and African development issues.

Strategic management is regarded as one of the utmost forms of management activities in the South African government, the sector is under increasing pressure to improve outcomes and increase the output of their organizations, while simultaneously improving efficiencies and effectiveness.

Welcome to my new column in which as a Pan-Africanist to the bone, I will intentionally try to provoke debate on many issues regarding why Africans must choose Pan-Africanism as the only highway towards unshackling Lingering colonial mentalities and their offshoots. How better to begin than with a discussion on the precursor to Pan-Africanism – Ethiopianism.

Inspiring Quote!“Every time history moves backwards or repeats itself, the cost rises. Every time history moves forwards, hope and possibility for the future rises.” (Anonymous)"This world is not democratic at all," Galeano said in 2013. "The world is organized by the war economy and the war culture."

InspirationWhat makes 1994 a unique historical milestone is that war was replaced by peace; and reconciliation replaced conflict. The ‘Rainbow nation of God’ was born according to Bishop Desmond Tutu! South Africa has now a morally radiant and intelligent global brand for ending with peace and reconciliation that all in the whole world believed could not have ended without war and protracted fighting. (www.tut.ac.za).

Putting Africa first: the making of African innovation systems was published at a time when African governments came together to form a Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD, committing to bringing about an African Renaissance. The debate in the literature at the time was on whether following advanced countries in developing science, technology and innovation would be appropriate for Africa considering the lack of infrastructure – including basic infrastructure – weak institutions and weak linkages between actors.

The book puts forward the premise that a systems of innovation approach that is based on indigenous knowledge and capabilities may in fact be the most appropriate approach for achieving sustainable development in Africa as it places emphasis on learning and competence building. It thus provides the tools for the structural transformation necessary for economic and social development in the region. The premise is that the approach should be context sensitive, taking into account local and regional specificities.

The Making of the Africa-Nation: Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance is a rich resource book on the teething problems affecting Africa on how they can be remedied. Its resourcefulness comes from the array of contributors with varying academic and historical backgrounds. However, the overarching thrust of the book is centred on unity that the contributors unanimously agree is an essential ingredient towards the transformation of the continent from is present sorry state.

INSPIRATIONEconomic leadership in particular must be distinguished from invention. As long as they are not carried into practice, invention are economically irrelevant. And to carry any improvement into effect is a task entirely different from investing in it, and a task requiring, moreover, different types of aptitudes.(Schumpter, The Theory of Economic Development , 1936, p.88)

Africa is the cradle of humanity. Civilisation, astronomy, science, mathematics and philosophy originated from Africa. There is a real challenge for Africans to understand that the difficult today and tomorrow can be transformed into a beautiful after tomorrow if Africans are prepared to look back to the deep and rich cultural contributions made by the ancestors to help mend the current social-economic reality that remains intoxicated with the colonial cultural liquor failing to protect Africa from pervasive Western cultural repenetration. Africa continues to be penetrable rather than being the real provider of its rich values and culture to liberate not only Africa but also redeem and save all humanity.

“Although it had been conquered dozens of times, Ethiopia was the birthplace of African nationalism.” Nelson Mandela, in his Long Walk to Freedom, p.402

“Ethiopia has always held a special place in my own imagination and the prospect of visiting Ethiopia attracted me more strongly than a trip to France, England and America combined. I felt I would be visiting my own genesis, unearthing the roots of what made me an African.” (ibid.)

So where does Africa start? Africa should start with its children. The whole educational system on the continent needs to be revamped and developed into an African-centred one. We need to do away with the “David-Livingstone-discovered-the-Victoria-falls” type of education.

This paper examines standard-setting process in China in relation with standard-setting processes in Korea to illustrate the key factors and mechanisms affecting catch up in latecomer economies, particularly from the perspective of government decision and support.

During the past 30 years China's economic development has made remarkable achievements. At the same time, the Chinese enterprises have also attempted to move from being labour intensive to high-tech intensive.

This study analyses the socio-economic factors that adversely affect the viability of African Entrepreneurial activities in the tourism sector. It focuses on black indigenous entrepreneurs previously disadvantaged in South Africa.

Using nanotechnology, scientists can change the atomic configuration of matter. New materials have seemingly magical applications, with promise that ranges from harnessing energy from the sun to eternally recycling materials by breaking them down into their atomic building blocks and reassembling them. It is vital, as UNESCO has urged, that social scientists engage fully in debates on nanoethics, and contribute to policy and decision-making processes concerning the use of nanotechnology in achieving sustainability.

This thought-piece was presented initially at the MISTRA-TMALI-UNISA Conference on 20 Years of South African Democracy: So Where to Now? That was held in November 12-13, 2014 in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The substantial and critical contributions from Ethiopian scholars Abu Girma (now In Japan), Hassan Seid (USA), Minga Negash (USA & SA) and Tesfaye Lemma (USA formerly also in SA) are acknowledged and indeed have been most helpful.

By many standards, South Africa is a class of its own in terms of African science, technology and innovation (STI). South Africa is a nation with the only nuclear power generating capability on the continent.

The essay presents an overview of the prevailing theoretical literature on innovation and agriculture. It also examines the adequacy of existing innovation to guide policy regarding agricultural productivity.

In recent years China has become the world’s second largest hub of technology-based business incubators (TBIs). The traditional business model of TBIs focuses on providing new ventures with traditional services, such as office, one-stop administrative service and some consulting services.

Agroforestry (AF) innovations are induced innovations developed in response to address problems associated with unwise land use practices. AF practices are among land-based economic development strategies with a perceived positive role in prompting rural livelihoods.

From the period 2000 to 2009 Zimbabwe’s economy suffered its sharpest contraction since independence. This period was characterised by hyper -inflationary environment, high interest, and unemployment, declining GDP, currency rate instability and political instability.